The subject invention is directed to the fastener art and, more particularly, to an adjustable connection system of the type used to hold a plate element to a support member.
Connectors of the type under consideration are commonly used in the automotive vehicle art to provide an adjustable connection between a door covering member and an automotive body part. Typically, an upper portion of the connector assembly is attached to a plate element such as a door covering and a lower portion of the connector assembly is attached to the support member such as, for example, an automotive body part. The subject connector assembly, however, is adjustable so that the relative distance between the door covering and body part can be selected at the time the fastener is installed.
One such basic non-adjustable connection element is described in European Patent Application EP 0 726 401 A1 whereat a connector is shown having a pair of flanges located above a circumferentially arranged second flange having elastic properties different from the pair of flanges. In that system, the pair of flanges can be inserted laterally into pockets formed in a contact zone of an upper part. A lower sealing lip is adapted to act upon an upper zone of a support when the system is in a mounted state to thereby produce an somewhat tight connection.
Further, the state of the art includes an element having an upper part that is attachable to a plate element, a center part, and a specialized holding element. Such a connection is shown in published German Patent Application DE 40 14 589 C1. The construction of the connector shown in that application enables mounting tolerance compensation that is especially useful in the motor vehicle industry. However, the tolerance compensation is enabled only in a plane extending parallel to the support member.
Fasteners of the type described above for connecting motor vehicle door covering devices to automotive body parts have caused some assembly problems. In particular, the devices described above do not permit adjustment between the spacing between the door covering and the body panel support members.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide an adjustable connector system to hold a plate element in a spaced-apart relationship relative to a support member.